An Israeli web site only has one question: Has the attack happened yet? The one-word answer: No. The joke in Israel is that everyone keeps turning to the site, which has more than 17,000 likes on Facebook, to see if the answer has changed to "yes."

An Israeli dental clinic has also gotten into the game with a full-page ad for dental implants. Under a picture of President Obama, the question: "Got teeth?"

As it tries to build international support for action against the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for its alleged chemical attack, the Obama administration must confront an increasing lack of confidence among its allies. While billed as an effort to strengthen U.S. resolve, diplomats say President Barack Obama's decision to seek authorization from Congress is playing out as weakness in a region concerned that Obama would show similar indecisiveness if faced with a nuclear Iran.

"If the Hill does not approve this, no one will believe Obama when he says he will prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon," one senior Arab diplomat said.

"They are opening the Champagne in Iran and probably switching to higher gear on their way to nuclear weapons," Israeli Housing Minister Uri Ariel wrote on his Facebook page after Obama's speech on Saturday. "With the world silent toward the atrocities in Syria, toward 100,000 testimonies buried in the ground, and after the clear use of weapons of mass destruction, we learn that when the day comes when we face real danger, no one in the world will stand at our side, and we can only defend ourselves."

Ariel was one of few Israeli lawmakers ignoring a request from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who, at his cabinet meeting, asked government officials to keep silent about the "sensitive and delicate issues" at stake. Israeli officials said privately Obama's invoking the need to protect Israel as he discusses Syria put their country in a difficult position in terms of how to respond.

"We are stuck in an impossible situation," one senior Israeli official said. "If we endorse Obama's message or publicly encourage him to act we are seen as weak or trying to drag America into a war it doesn't need for Israel's sake.

"If we stay on the sidelines, we are not seen as being supportive enough in calling for action. We totally do believe the international community, led by the United States, should do something because not acting is a signal to like-minded dictators they can act with impunity. But we want them to do it because it is a moral imperative for the world, not for our sake. We have always said we don't rely on anyone for our security and can take care of ourselves."

Israeli officials said the delay in acting against Syria is raising questions about Obama's stated commitment to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.

"The psychological barrier has been broken, these weapons are being used on a periodic basis," another senior Israeli official said. "So what does President Obama do when the information comes that the Iranians are making a breakout? This is what is on people's minds. Next time President Obama meets Netanyahu and he says 'I have your back,' how can you trust what he is saying?"

While Israeli officials said they don't believe al-Assad would risk Israeli retaliation by using chemical weapons against Israel, their use in Syria risks the agents falling into the wrong hands, such as al Qaeda-related groups like al-Nusra.

Israeli officials said the United States has not asked Israel for specific help with any military strike, although the two allies share a close intelligence relationship. Secretary of State John Kerry will meet with the Israeli prime minister in Rome next week. Although the meeting was scheduled to discuss ongoing efforts to reach a peace deal between Israelis and Palestinians, Syria will also be on the agenda.

Kerry, who senior U.S. officials and diplomats say has been tasked with building international support for a coalition for action in Syria, also will meet with ministers from the Arab League while in Rome. Kerry told Democratic lawmakers in the U.S. on a conference call Monday that Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have both offered military assets. On Sunday the Arab League passed a resolution saying the Syrian regime was responsible for chemical attacks and calling on the international community to take "deterrent" action against the regime.

But the measure fell short of explicitly calling for military strikes. Arab diplomats say the language was carefully worded to accommodate a few countries who are reluctant to strike Syria, such as Egypt, Iraq and Algeria, but that most members of the Arab League saw the statement as a tacit approval for the United States to act.

Turkey also has offered military support, as has France, and Kerry told the lawmakers he expected more nations to lend support in coming days.

But Washington's European and NATO allies are divided over action.

After voicing strong support for military action, France now says it wants to build a coalition. Both French President Francois Hollande and British Prime Minister David Cameron are playing a delicate balancing act as they try to build a case to join the United States in any possible military action against Syria. Canada, Germany and Italy said they won't participate in any military intervention without a UN mandate.

In addition to his meetings with the Arabs in Rome, Kerry will also seek to build European support for action against Syria when he attends a meeting of EU foreign ministers next week in Lithuania. In addition to seeking military partners, senior State Department officials say Kerry will urge European allies to voice more public political support for action against Syria.

"We understand different countries have varying capabilities but being politically supportive is something every country can do. Regardless of whether they have military capabilities, they can contribute," one senior State Department official said. "We want countries out there."

soundoff(42 Responses)

There are 100,000 dead and 1 million Syrian refugees. We did not attack the Butcher of Bagdad until he had killed 1.5 million people and there were 5 million Iraqi refugees. We have a long way to go. When Asaad has killed 2 million we might take action. Two million fewer Arabs. We should sit back and watch the Arabs burn the Arab world to the ground./

Muslims are killing Muslims in Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, and Lebanon. I call that success in the U.S. strategic plan for the global war on Muslim terrorism. Keep them all armed, misinformed, and screaming for the blood of other Arabs and there will be no bombs in the U.S. or Europe.

Obama a "cautious" leader, Phunnie boy"? Now I see that you're posting under the name of cocpuf4u. Your stupidity or your joking just gave you away. Actually, Obama is doing all he can do to take over Syria without making himself look as bad as he truly is!!!

September 4, 2013 at 4:57 pm |

Trevor

@U.S.M.C..."Only one major issue. ..... not one fact proving that Assad used the gas". These things call security clearances (heard of them?) and a "need to know", seem to be a major "issue" for your creditability when you make assertions about things you really are not privy too.

"We are stuck in an impossible situation," one senior Israeli official said. "If we endorse Obama's message or publicly encourage him to act we are seen as weak or trying to drag America into a war it doesn't need for Israel's sake.

"If we stay on the sidelines, we are not seen as being supportive enough in calling for action. We totally do believe the international community, led by the United States, should do something because not acting is a signal to like-minded dictators they can act with impunity. But we want them to do it because it is a moral imperative for the world, not for our sake. We have always said we don't rely on anyone for our security and can take care of ourselves."

Point #1:
The US does not need another war, for Israel's sake nor anyone else. This point is 100% correct!
Point #2:
Israel keeps saying over and over again that they can defend themselves and do not rely on others (ie: the USA)
This is pure nonsense! Why does Israel keep begging us to attack Iran for "their security"???

"Ariel was one of few Israeli lawmakers ignoring a request from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who, at his cabinet meeting, asked government officials to keep silent about the "sensitive and delicate issues" ... Israeli officials said privately Obama's invoking the need to protect Israel as he discusses Syria put their country in a difficult position in terms of how to respond."

Netanyahu doesn't want any of his cabinet upsetting the golden apple cart Netanyahu now has! The US Congress will willingly do whatever Netanyahu wants, he controls most of them! He has never won the trust of Obama, for good reasons! We learned that the French don't trust him either!
Netanyahu's own atrocities have gone unpunished! How can he dare speak about some other leader's "crimes against humanity"? Remember white phosphorus bombs launched into Gaza! What about all of his bulldozer attacks?

During Obama's first term, Netanyahu tried numerous times to get us to attack Iran for Israel's security. When not pleased, Netanyahu sent his bulldozers in to reclaim more land! Every important diplomatic meeting was preceded with bulldozing Palestinian homes for more settlements! How is this guy any better than Assad?

I agree with your points. I don't believe Assad launched the chemical weapons attack in E. Ghouta. I believe the U.S. gave the "rebels" the bat phone by telling them that if chemical weapons were used, the U.S. would intervene, therefore they did as encouraged and launched their own chemical weapons and blamed Assad. There were hacked emails from a "security contractor" in England where the owner of the company talked about the offer he had to run a chemical weapon attack in Syria made to look like a Syrian Government operation. He said the customer was Qatar, or the person paying, and that Washington was o.k. with the plan. He also said the amounts being offered "are enormous". Then there are some pentagon emails that were hacked whereby one intelligence officer congratulates another operations officer for the "recent success in Syria" then references an article about the attacks in E. Ghouta, as if this commander was responsible for them.

Israel has never asked the US to attack Iran. In fact it has been the US and others who don't want Israel to go alone in any potential attack.

Israel use WP containing standard smoke projectiles exclusively as smoke-screens thereby reducing the need for reactive fire which can cause collateral damage. They were used legally as described under Protocol lll of the CCCW.

No new settlements have been built in the past 20 years. Building has taken place within existing communities.
No Palestinian home has been destroyed to make room for any settlement building.

why eat a hamburger today when you can borrow money for a hamburger tommarow and eat a hamburger today...how about you eat a hamburger today save for a hamburger tommarow and eat at the soup kitchen instead and have the hamburger shop give you a hamburger today for free because you forgot your money before you entered...what if you also show up the next day and get a free burger from a different employee....BUT WAIT...why not sit on your hands keeping them warm until someone else pays you to wash your hands...

They do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. Although they know such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.

Some politician could have sold some relative Creek CNN journalist, to develop some kind of pathology as Esquzofrenia?.

Suits of Pathology: Schizophrenia as a product for sale, the statistics applied to neurological studies. Emotional states produced by satellite technology and invasive technology.

Millions of human cases in which different countries have the same symptoms, perceive the same voices, all intelligence agencies, being thousands of miles away?.

Here since the time you have this kind of study subjects experiments from the 20s
ASK THEM NOW YOU THINK THIS TEXT NORMAL.
WHY NOW IS GOOD WRITING.
They will ask WE LIKE WHAT THEY DO WHEN HAKER PUBLISHED INFORMATION WITH INTELLIGENCE AGENCIES WITH TELEPHONE ENTERPRISES IntervenidasS.
September 3, 2013 at 3:27 pm | Report abuse | Reply

Some politician could have sold some relative Creek CNN journalist, to develop some kind of pathology as Esquzofrenia?.

Suits of Pathology: Schizophrenia as a product for sale, the statistics applied to neurological studies. Emotional states produced by satellite technology and invasive technology.

Millions of human cases in which different countries have the same symptoms, perceive the same voices, all intelligence agencies, being thousands of miles away?.

Here since the time you have this kind of study subjects experiments from the 20s
ASK THEM NOW YOU THINK THIS TEXT NORMAL.
WHY NOW IS GOOD WRITING.
They will ask WE LIKE WHAT THEY DO WHEN HAKER PUBLISHED INFORMATION WITH INTELLIGENCE AGENCIES WITH TELEPHONE ENTERPRISES IntervenidasS.
September 3, 2013 at 3:27 pm | Report abuse | Reply

Some politician could have sold some relative Creek CNN journalist, to develop some kind of pathology as Esquzofrenia?.

Suits of Pathology: Schizophrenia as a product for sale, the statistics applied to neurological studies. Emotional states produced by satellite technology and invasive technology.

Millions of human cases in which different countries have the same symptoms, perceive the same voices, all intelligence agencies, being thousands of miles away?.

Here since the time you have this kind of study subjects experiments from the 20s
ASK THEM NOW YOU THINK THIS TEXT NORMAL.
WHY NOW IS GOOD WRITING.
They will ask WE LIKE WHAT THEY DO WHEN HAKER PUBLISHED INFORMATION WITH INTELLIGENCE AGENCIES WITH TELEPHONE ENTERPRISES IntervenidasS.
September 3, 2013 at 3:27 pm | Report abuse | Reply

The leaders of the Arab League countries are nothing but a bunch of narcissistic thugs whole only true religion is the color of money rather than Allah in whom they profess to believe! This is why they're such loyal allies to the U.S. since they're most probably getting handsome kickbacks from the M.I.C. in Washington!!!

israeli retaliation ?it can only attack civilians and weak countries they are begging us to attack Syria and Iran .they are using our blood to be safe.BE OUT OF THIS MESS.let them take care of their problems we have 17 trillion debt and we are still invading countries and wasting the money and get more debt.WAKE UP the world has changed

Israel always says two things; "We can take care of ourselves" and "Please, USA, please bomb Iran for us"!
Bombing Syria pulls Iran into the picture! We, the US don't need a new war!!! What is Israel committing to? Oh, right, Netanyahu told his people to "stay quiet"!!! Way to go Israel! Of course, the US Congress will vote however Israel tells them to vote! Otherwise, stay quiet and go bulldoze some more Palestinians! Peace in the Middle East? No chance!

tomahawk missiles are garbage even Iran produces cruise missile like the Qader cruise missile so these missiles are not very complicated Iran produces cruise missile with solid fuel rocket engine and also cruise missile with turbojet engine i cant see what is so impressive about tomahawk missiles. why so much talk about USA launching this missiles it not like landing a robotic probe on the moon.

Have you any notion saeed, to the amount of damage that these cursed missiles can do? They can slaughter thousands of people and do an enormous amount untold damage. After all, the right-wing thugs in Washington are paying some $834,000 just to produce one single missile. This is where our tax money goes!!!

It's s little over two million every time they pull the trigger on a cruise missile

September 3, 2013 at 6:12 pm |

Portland tony

The cost of cruise missiles are a moot point and are already sunk expenditures lost in the defense budgets spread out over the past decade. The value of a used missile or bullet is zero. The cash value of such weapons sitting on a shelf is also zero because the owners cant't sell them. Their value is intrinsically attached to their ultimate use and if they serve their designated purpose. Liken it to the cash value of a used nuclear bomb.

September 3, 2013 at 7:38 pm |

George patton

phunnie boy George Patton, one click and we launching a missile equivalent of one million dollar house on these islamic dump countries? What a waste of good houses?

September 3, 2013 at 10:29 pm |

ERTWERT

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